permaculture

["Lawrence F. London, Jr." <venaurafarm@bellsouth.net>]

On 10/7/2010 9:33 PM, Lawrence London wrote:
> http://nikeprogramme.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=111%3Apingkol-dilemma&catid=82%3Anike-team-researches&Itemid=99
> *ENDANGERED MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN IFUGAO TRADITIONAL RICE PRODUCTION: The
> Pingkol Dilemma*
> by Armand N. Camhol

>   Of the often overlooked parts or aspects of the Ifugao Rice Terraces (IRT)
> is the pingkol (Lit. “rounded”). These are mounds of decaying plant material
> primarily rice stalks, ricefield waternymph (*Najas graminea) or “bagiw” *in
> the Ifugao Tuwali language, flating fern (*Azolla pinnata) *or *“halibubu”,
> *water hyacinths, duckweed and other leafy succulent plants which are made
> by farmers during the rice cycle’s fallow season and planted with an
> assortment of vegetables like pechay, cabbage, spring onions, garlic,
> legumes and others.

Anyone interested in discussing this? This is at the heart of 
permaculture as I see it. Stacked functions, recycling, nutrient and
water resources use.

<>
pingkol (Lit. “rounded”). These are mounds of decaying plant material
primarily rice stalks, ricefield waternymph (*Najas graminea) or “bagiw” 
*in the Ifugao Tuwali language, floating fern (*Azolla pinnata) *or 
*“halibubu”, *water hyacinths, duckweed and other leafy succulent plants 
which are made by farmers during the rice cycle’s fallow season and 
planted with an assortment of vegetables like pechay, cabbage, spring 
onions, garlic, legumes and others.

This sounds like island gardens, chinampas, hydroponics, aquaponics or 
aquatic Huegelkulture (see the picture of these mini-gardens planted on 
mounded decaying plant material. The duckweed recycles nutrients and 
purifies the water, azolla fixes atmospheric nitrogen, water hyacinth 
purifies water, absorbs nutrients and produces much biomass, all 
combined with rice stalks to produce a dense bed of nutrient-rich 
compost to grow vegetables in.

This ought to be a method that could be used in the US and elsewhere.
Those intent on intensely integrated permaculture systems could use
this form of gardening in wetlands, swales, shallow areas in ponds,
in ditches and in dammed terraces on slopes. This seems to have a lot of 
potential. In conventional watershed, wetland and pond systems aquatic 
plants could be harvested to make garden grow mounds in the shallows of 
ponds or wetland where there is plenty of light. Benefit: never a drought.

Ideas:

Aquatic Huegelkulture
Permanent double dug biointensive notill raised beds